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The
Republic of Iraq is in the eastern end of the Fertile Crescent,
the birthplace of modern civilizations. To the north is
Turkey, to the east is Iran, in the south are Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia, and in the west are Jordan and Syria. Iraq
also has a limited, but important, access to the Persian
Gulf in the southeast. Iraq has an area of 169,235 square
miles, which makes it slightly twice the size of Idaho.
The population is narrowly concentrated around the agricultural
belt along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and the delta
where they join, just before entering the Gulf. |
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Most of the
Kurdish region in northern Iraq, known to Arabs as Al-Jazira,
is covered by rugged, mountainous terrain. Near the border
with Turkey elevations reach about 7,000 feet above sea
level. In the northeastern part of the country, near the
border with Iran, are the highest points in Iraq with
the highest point, Mount Ebrahim (Haji Ibrahim) reaching
11,834 feet above sea level. Moving south into the center
of the country, the rugged mountains descend into a flat,
fertile, central alluvial plain, which includes the valleys
of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. West of the Euphrates,
the land rises gradually to meet the Syrian Desert. The
extreme southeastern portion of Iraq is a low-lying, marshy
area bordering the Persian Gulf. In ancient times, these
marshes were part of the Persian Gulf. This is the homeland
of the Marsh Arabs, a Shi'ite group heavily repressed
by Saddam Hussein.
(CIA World
Factbook, 2002)
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Major
Rivers
The Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers flow from Turkey through Iraq from northwest
to southeast. They meet about 100 miles north of the Persian
Gulf to form the Shatt al-Arab, which drains into the gulf.
Irrigation canals that have been built between the two rivers
provide water that is crucial in the desert environment
for irrigation and drinking. The canals have been built
to divert water of the higher-lying Euphrates to the west,
across the valley into the Tigris. The Iraqi government
has also built a series of dams on the Tigris and Euphrates
for irrigation and for flood control. Iraqis, however, have
strongly opposed the greater number of dams built by Turkey
upstream, because they divert and evaporate water needed
by Iraqis in drier and hotter downstream regions. |
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Climate
Although most
of Iraq has a continental climate with extremes of heat
and cold, temperatures also vary greatly with elevation,
especially between the high mountains in the northeast
and the Syrian Desert to the south and west. The mountainous
northern portion of the country has cool summers and cold
winters, often accompanied by snow. The mean January temperature
in the north, is 45°F and the mean July temperature
is 90°F. In the lowlands the summers are long and
hot, and the winters short and cool. The mean January
temperature in the capital city of Baghdad, which lies
in the lower, central part of the country, is 50°F
for January and 95°F in July, and temperatures as
high as 123°F have been recorded. The northeastern
highlands receive the most rainfall, and from October
to May it can range from 12 to 22 inches. Just farther
south, on the central plain and near the Persian Gulf,
precipitation is much lower averaging only 6 inches annually.
The Syrian Desert in the west gets very little and occasionally
no precipitation.
(CIA World
Factbook, 2002)
(Platts Guide
to Iraqi Oil)
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Natural
Resources
It is probably
no surprise that the natural resources of Iraq are primarily
mineral. The country has large reserves of petroleum and
natural gas. Iraq has the second largest oil reserves
in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia. Iraq reports its
proven oil reserves at 112 billion barrels, however it
is estimated that there could be an additional 200 billion
barrels in unexplored areas. There are many oil fields
scattered across central and eastern Iraq, but a majority
of the oil comes from two major regions; Kirkuk in the
north and Rumaylah in the south. Other than petroleum
and natural gas, there are also small deposits of salt,
coal, gypsum, and sulfur.
(Platts Guide
to Iraqi Oil)
(MSN Learning
& Research)
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Vegetation
and Wildlife
Vegetation
is meager throughout much of Iraq since the southern and
western parts of the country are desert areas. The country
also has few trees, except for the date palm, which is planted
and cultivated, and the poplar. Among the many animals found
in Iraq are the cheetah, gazelle, antelope, wild ass, hyena,
wolf, jackal, wild pig, hare, jerboa, lizard, and bat. There
are also numerous bird species found in Iraq, including
the vulture, buzzard, raven, owl, duck, goose, partridge,
and sand grouse, and various species of hawks.
(MSN
Learning & Research) |
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Soils
There
are two main types of soils in Iraq. Heavy alluvial deposits,
containing a significant amount of humus and clay, make
up one type and are used for construction. The second main
soil is a lighter soil composed of wind-deposited nutrients.
A high saline content in some areas contaminates the otherwise
rich composition of the soils. Irrigation and flood-control
projects on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers help increase
the agricultural production of this area.
(Platts
Guide to Iraqi Oil)
(MSN
Learning & Research) |
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Agriculture
Iraq
is predominantly an agricultural country. Yet only about
12 percent of the land is under cultivation, and most farmland
is in the fertile region of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Primary agricultural production includes wheat, barley,
and rice. Before the imposition of UN sanctions, exports
of dates from Iraq accounted for a major share of world
trade in dates. Other fruits produced include apples, figs,
grapes, olives, oranges, pears, and pomegranates. Livestock
raising is an important to Iraq’s nomadic and semi-nomadic
tribes. About 10 percent of Iraq’s land area is suitable
for grazing, and common livestock in Iraq includes cattle,
sheep, goats, poultry, and the Arabian horse is also extensively
bred.
(CIA
World Factbook, 2002) |
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Physical
Landscape and Implications for War
In a military strategic sense, Iraq's location is potentially
very poor, both for Iraqis defending their border and for
a military force trying to invade the country. Iraq is almost
a landlocked country being surrounded by six other countries,
with only a small access to the Persian Gulf. The varied
landscapes and climates prove to be both an ally and an
enemy for Iraq. The rugged mountains in the northeast along
the border with Iran provide a natural barrier against attack.
The Syrian Desert, which covers much of the southern and
western parts of Iraq, provides relatively easy access for
invaders of Iraq but can be a very harsh environment with
summer temperatures over 100°F, and fierce wind and
sandstorms. Iraq has a small (only about 25 miles) part
of its border along the Persian Gulf. This access, although
it is relatively small and shallow, is vital to Iraq. The
access to the Persian Gulf allows for supplies to enter
the country without crossing borders. However, this small
access provides another means for invasion and since it
is so small could easily be blocked, thus removing Iraq's
only water access and essentially making it a completely
landlocked country.
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| The effects of
war can in many ways also be very dangerous and destructive
to the physical landscape and the species which live there.
In an area north of the city of Al-Basrah, Iraq, which borders
Iran, a former wetland has been drained and walled off. It
is now littered with minefields and gun emplacements, and
is a staging area for Iraqi military exercises. |
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Sources
The Overland Expedition
Resource
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